Asda consumers so shocked by horsemeat they're all turning green

It seems the horsemeat scandal is cantering on. Last Friday Asda made an official announcement over their meat products, admitting to one positive test for horse and a number of other products where there was cross-meat contamination. Full details of asda’s shockedness and the products withdrawn can be found here.

But it seems this horsemeat business, which has been running for several furlongs now, has had another effect on consumers and their buying habits. It seems we’re all turning green, and going veggie. Asda Chief Executive Andy Clarke admitted that “consumers have switched to veggie meals” with the store seeing increase in sales of vegetable ready-meals and quorn, and an impact on meat sales in the wake of the horsemeat revelations.

This ties up with new research from Consumer Intelligence which suggests that 25% of shoppers have resolved to buy less processed meat, and just over 20% claim to be buying less meat generally since the scandal broke. Four million people have decided to stop buying processed meat completely and 6% of people claimed to know someone who had gone the whole green hog and become vegetarian.

Clearly, none of those surveyed were BW readers- our poll earlier this month showed almost 44% of you couldn’t care less what type of animal you were eating, it was all meat.

Mr Clarke said: "For Asda, our customers come into our stores and they expect to buy what's on the label. So I feel very responsible for that," adding "but I want you to know that I'm leaving no stone unturned to address what happened in our supply chain." He rejected claims that the supermarket race-to-the-bottom had prompted suppliers to cut corners in delivering ever-cheaper meat and said that “events in the last few weeks have shocked us as much as we know they’ve shocked you.”

Still, own-brand processed meat consumers can now rest assured that with all the media scrutiny, they will be back to eating cow’s anus rather than premium quality horse steak. Result.

I dont shop at asda (its too far away), but i dont care where i shop (coop is way to expensive). But lets face it whether you shop, asda, tesco, coop, waitrose it actually doesnt matter because the meat is procured and imported from distributors.
Do you think this is new. it may have been going off for years, it could have been a one off mix up, it could be food companies looking to shorten their gap for a good profit margin? have you actually noticed any difference in taste from one mince meat, or mince meat with a little horse or pony or dog mixed in?? My Guess is NO!
I think everyone has a right to know what they are eating, but lets face it, it is only a little % of the total. I love what us brits cant handle its all a big "scandal, like a cm of snow and south of the border "standstill" every year. oh no the pie "pasty gate" thats a scandal. Its a scandal that we let people get away with it, the banks, the government. thats a scandal!
Good Day
PS: you shouldnt judge people for where they do their shopping, or how they look its not nice. I have seen many outside the school gates (still).

****Still, own-brand processed meat consumers can now rest assured that with all the media scrutiny, they will be back to eating cow’s anus rather than premium quality horse steak. Result.******
I agree, there are worst things to be eating than horse meat, which is actually very good for you.

@ Nic
"PS: you shouldnt judge people for where they do their shopping, or how they look its not nice. I have seen many outside the school gates (still)."
And you shouldn't be trying to make a reasoned argument on BW...